The Transformation of Lillian Mae
by stephanie johnson
Summary: How did Lillian Mae, a small town girl from Piedmont, ND, become the owner of one of the hottest night spots in NYC? Here's her tell-all biography. I tried to keep it PG-13, but if the rating should be raised, let me know. r/r please!!
1. Nine Years Old

A/N: Ok, obviously I don't own Lil,... wow, I think she's the only character actually in it so far... ok, so the rest so far were created by my demented brain. Ummm... right, so we all know what happens to Violet, and Zoe used the Coyote Ugly to get off to a great start at law school, but what is Lil's story? Why does she claim to be married to her bar? What did this girl from Piedmont, North Dakota have in store for her? (BTW, thanks to imdb.com I know that Piedmont is in SD, but for continuity with the movie, I made up a town... lol) r/r... this is my first REAL fanfic... the patriot one didn't really count... ok, gonna shut up now.  
  
  
  
"Lillian Mae, you get your rear back in this house right now!" A young woman, not more than twenty-four years old, with soft features, warm brown eyes and dark hair called out to the barley fields.  
  
A girl, barely nine years old rustled through the barley until she reached the open area fifty feet from the door, she ran up to her mother and hugged her knees. "Aw, Mama, you never let me play," the girl whined in her best melodramatics. Her chocolate eyes danced with laughter as her mother reached down to tickle her as she pushed the girl into the house.  
  
"Listen, sweetie, you know I need you to be a big girl and help me with the house and farming while Daddy's away." The woman shut the wooden door and watched Lillian pick her doll from the floor.  
  
"When is Daddy coming back home?" Lillian asked, brushing her doll's hair with her fingertips. She was too entranced by Rose, her doll, to notice the cloud that had settled on her mother's features. The cloud lifted as suddenly as it had come and Martha smiled.  
  
"I'm not sure, baby, but we need to make sure that everything is just right when he comes back," she said, kneeling next to her daughter. "Come here, hon," she said, sweeping Lillian into her arms and holding her tight. Right then, Lillian realized that everything in the world was right. She had a mommy who loved her, a nice warm home, and any day now, her daddy would be back with lots of presents for his two favorite girls.  
  
"I love you, Mommy," she said, hugging her mother back. She heard a sniffle and pulled away to see a tear falling down her mother's cheek. "Don't cry, Mommy, we'll make everything perfect."  
  
That night, after Lillian had been tucked in, Martha went to her own room and wrote. She wasn't sure why she was writing, or who she was writing to, but she recorded everything on that single piece of paper and hid it away where children's eyes couldn't see. 


	2. Lil is born

"Lillian Mae! Get your rear back here now!"  
  
A squeal of tires, a cloud of dust, and two voices howling at the moon announced Lillian's departure from her mother one late afternoon. Martha saw the long dark locks of her only child blowing in the wind as the convertible took Lillian from the barley fields of her home, a small town called Piedmont, west of Fargo, North Dakota's largest city.  
  
"So where are we going, Jason?" Lillian asked. The boy driving the old Chevy was eighteen, tall, handsome, and adventuresome. Lillian had been on a quest to find out where she really belonged and fell in love with his bad boy attitude.  
  
"Well, first we're going to go to a real town, not these boondocks you call home," he said, flashing her a smile. Jason was from New York City, a dark haired demon in a leather jacket. He saw that he could easily manipulate Lillian, a small town girl, just recently turned 16, into what he wanted. He was testing her limits tonight.  
  
When they reached Fargo, with a population of just under 100,000, Lillian thought that was as far as they would go today. As much as she wanted to be the rebellious, wild child, she couldn't help but feel some regret for leaving her mother, knowing that she would be worried. But no matter, Lillian would be home the next day... she thought.  
  
After what seemed like ages of driving, the pair arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lillian had never seen such a large city. Even though the combined populations of Minneapolis and St. Paul only tipped just over 650,000 residents, Lillian's eyes went wide with wonder. The sun had set somewhere in the expanse of Minnesota, and Lillian's eyes traced the glittering lights of the city. Jason saw her reaction and acted on it. "Look, babe. This is a town. Not even a real city. Maybe someday you'll want to go to New York with me. For now, lets just enjoy ourselves with what we've got." At that moment, Lillian would have signed her life away to Jason had she been given a pen. Jason parked downtown and they took an elevator to the top of one of the tallest buildings.  
  
He laughed at her when she was too nervous to go to the window and look out over the city. He walked to the edge, placed his hands on the glass and leaned into it. "Look, babe. It's safe. Come on," he coaxed, holding his hand out to her. She looked at him and realized that she was being childish. Her back stiffened and she smiled. She walked forward, putting her hand in his, and looked out over the city. He heard her gasp when she realized she couldn't see where the lights ended. He watched her eyes dance over everything in sight.  
  
He put a hand to her cheek, then ran it through her dark hair. She turned to him as he leaned in to kiss her, and she accepted him as if he were her savior. When he pulled away from her, she smiled, her skin glowing and her eyes twinkling. "What do you want most in life right now?" Jason asked quietly.  
  
Lillian didn't hesitate as she looked into Jason's eyes. "I want to be somebody else. I don't want to be this small town girl from Piedmont, North Dakota."  
  
Jason smiled. "I know how we can do that," he whispered, his hand coursing down her cheek.  
  
"How?" she whispered back, eager to hear what could be done.  
  
"You'll have to trust me," Jason replied. "Without question." Lillian nodded quickly.  
  
"Well, first off is your name. Lillian Mae just isn't a name that people in cities have. Just go by Lil from now on."  
  
"Lil," she repeated, listening to the name. She hadn't heard anyone call her 'Lil' within the reaches of her memory. She decided that it was acceptable and nodded with a smile. "Lil, it is."  
  
"Alright, now for the look." Lil looked down at her clothes- tight, hip- hugging blue jeans, with a dark blue tank top that exposed her midriff. She looked up in confusion. He had gone shopping with her a few weeks prior and gave some subtle suggestions for her wardrobe. "No, babe, your clothes are fine. I meant your hair."  
  
For a moment, Lillian stiffened. She and her mother both cherished their long dark hair. Finally, Lil realized that she needed to do what he suggested to become who she wanted to be. "Where to?" she asked.  
  
Jason smiled, kissed her again, and led her to a cheap looking barbershop. There he gave the hairdresser specific instructions. When Lil was told to open her eyes, she had shoulder length platinum blonde hair. Her roots were purposefully left dark in places to add an extra sense of what Jason wanted. There was a good two feet of dark hair on the floor that had been chopped. At first, she was shocked, but then she steeled herself again and made herself become determined to do as Jason instructed.  
  
"Great job. Thanks," Jason said as he paid the hairdresser. He walked Lil out of the shop and they walked along the street for a bit. "You were pretty with your long dark hair, babe, but now you're just plain sexy."  
  
"So is this it?" she asked, not sure if she wanted more change or if she wanted to run home to her Mama.  
  
"The night is young, babe." They turned the corner and Jason flashed a large man his ID. They walked into the bar and Jason ordered a round of Jack for the two of them. Lil was at first confused as to how they had gotten in, then she realized that he must have a fake ID. She tried the shot of Jack that was put into her hand and started coughing after it was down. "Ah, babe, don't worry about it. It'll get better," he smiled, handing her another as he downed his first.  
  
After the second shot, Lil was already drunk, brand new to the world of alcohol. Jason gave her one more just to make sure she was completely smashed. They left the bar, and Jason took her to a tattoo parlor. He handed the guy a picture and watched as the man stenciled his symbol on her arm. 


	3. Day Two

Lil woke up to find herself in the back of Jason's car. She saw the bright light of day shining and tried to hide from its powerful rays. When she lifted her arm to block the sun, she groaned at the soreness. She looked at the bandage on her arm and wondered what had happened. Jason turned around from the front seat, smiling at her. "I've got such a headache, Jason," she said, lifting her other arm.  
  
"It's a hangover, babe. Have you never been drunk?" he asked, innocently, knowing full well that she was as innocent as they come.  
  
She sat up and looked around once she could open her eyes. They were in a parking lot, outside a cheap motel. "C'mon, babe, I got us a room. We'll go back tomorrow."  
  
Jason supported her as they walked to the room, and he laid her down on the bed. The clock on the wall showed that it was two in the afternoon. "What happened last night?"  
  
"Well, you started to become the girl you told me you wanted to be. You got your hair cut and dyed," he started.  
  
"I remember that... where's this bandage from?"  
  
"Well, after we went to the bar, we went to a tattoo parlor. Now you have one, just like mine," he replied, rolling his left sleeve up a bit to show her the design that was now on her right.  
  
"Oh, ok," she replied, still a little out of it.  
  
"I'm going to take you out again tonight," he said softly, sitting on the bed next to her. He put his hand on her cheek, then ran it down her side. She smiled and nodded a bit. "But tonight, we'll come back here and finish your transformation."  
  
"What else is there?" she asked, completely willing to do anything he asked.  
  
"You're still too innocent, Lil. Tonight, we'll change that."  
  
An apprehensive look fell over her eyes as the one sober part of her brain registered what he was talking about. She struggled to sit up, looking in his eyes. "Are you sure? That it has to happen now, I mean. I'm not sure-"  
  
Her words were cut off by Jason's fingers pressed against her lips. "Shhhh, babe. Don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing. You'll enjoy it, I promise. If you want me to, I'll even use protection. Now, you said you would trust me, babe," he said, his voice getting softer. He leaned forward until he was no more than an inch from her. "Do you want to be the girl that I can see you becoming," he said, kissing her deeply, but fast, "or do you want to go back home to Podunkville, USA?" he asked, standing and looking out the window.  
  
Lil looked at Jason, sighed and in an effort that she hoped was coming across as tough, she replied, "Why wait?"  
  
Jason heard the plea of a child wanting to be accepted in her voice and smiled inside as he turned to face his creation. He went to her and quickly ran his hands along her body as he kissed her, but then pulled away. "Not yet, babe. There's still some more to be done. This will be the end of a great night."  
  
That night, Jason ushered Lil around some of the hottest bars in the area. They drank Jose Cuervo, Lil's bottle often taken by Jason before she was finished so that she wouldn't be quite as trashed as the night before. Once Jason was sure that Lil was still conscious enough to take part, but drunk enough to be completely willing, he took her back to the motel room to take the last bit of her innocence. 


	4. Where's my Mama?

Lil woke to find herself in the motel room. Jason was next to her, propped up on an elbow. He leaned down to kiss her good morning. "See, it wasn't so bad after all, was it, babe?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone.  
  
"No, I suppose it wasn't," she said, tired and sore. She sat up, taking the sheet with her.  
  
"Come on, babe, I'm taking you home now," he said, swinging his legs over the bed and pulling on his boxers. She took the sheet with her as she walked across the room to the bathroom where she showered and then dressed. Jason drove her back to Piedmont.  
  
When they pulled up to the house, Lil's heart froze in her throat. A police cruiser was parked outside the door. She kissed Jason and ran up the steps. "Mama? I'm home! I'm back!" A stern-faced man in the uniform of a county sheriff rose to meet her. "Mama?"  
  
"Lillian Travis?" the man asked, apology written in his eyes.  
  
"Yes? Where's my Mama?"  
  
"Ma'am, maybe you should sit down," the sheriff offered.  
  
"What's going on here?" a voice asked from the doorway. Jason walked in and stood by Lil.  
  
"Your mother, Martha Travis, was killed yesterday," the sheriff started. Lil's eyes teared over and her knees gave. Jason caught her fall and carried her over to the couch where he sat with her. "A neighbor heard suspicious noises and came over to investigate after they had stopped."  
  
"No, not Mama... what happened?" she asked through the tears.  
  
"She appears to have been strangled, best estimation by a man, muscular build, with large hands. There is no sign of forced entry. Do you have any ideas as to who it could have been?"  
  
Lil shook her head through her tears. "Nobody disliked my mama. I don't remember any men being around since my... my father left."  
  
"How long ago was that?"  
  
"I was eight, going on nine. It would have been just about seven and a half years ago," she said, shaking her head.  
  
"Well, we're trying to get things settled, find the culprit. If there's anywhere that you could stay besides here, I'd suggest it. Do you have any family? Aunts? Grandparents?"  
  
Lil shook her head, looking away from the sheriff in shame. "Well, Miss Travis, we'll be in touch." The sheriff looked at the young girl once more, wishing he could take her home to his wife and take all the troubles from her life. He straightened himself and let himself out.  
  
"Oh, babe, I'm sorry," Jason said, moving a strand of blonde hair from Lil's face. She looked at him, eyes bloodshot, and suddenly threw her arms around his neck. He stood, pulling her up with him, and held her close. "I shouldn't have kept you out so long," he started.  
  
"No, don't say that. What if I had been here? I was just thinking that the last thing that my mother said to me was for me to get back in the house. She probably wouldn't even recognize me now."  
  
"You don't have any other family, Lil?" he asked, tilting her chin up so she would look him in the eye.  
  
She shook her head and replied, "No. I've never known my mother's parents, and she was an only child. My father's family disappeared when he did." Jason watched as Lil started walking around her house. She shivered, feeling so alone in the world. She went to her mother's bedroom and could smell the faint scent of her perfume. She took the picture of her mother off the wall and felt something taped to the back. She turned the picture over and found, folded up, the letter her mother had written so long ago.  
  
"Quint left Lillian and I yesterday. She's nine years old now. Six years younger than I was when I gave birth to her. My parents wanted nothing more to do with me after I discovered my pregnancy. Quint and I ran off to his family's farm, here in Piedmont. I didn't realize then that what he felt for me wasn't love. As Lillian got older, I realized how demented he is. Once he actually asked me to let Lillian come to bed with us. I finally got enough bravado to tell him that he was mentally ill and that he needed to leave her alone. He turned violent and it took all I had to keep him from seriously hurting me. I ran to the end room and took out the pistol I had hidden there. I told him to leave. I told him that I wouldn't hesitate to shoot him if he took one step toward Lillian's bedroom. He must have seen that I was serious because he went into our room, came out a few minutes later with a suitcase and he was gone. Thank God he never actually did anything with her. I don't know how, but somehow I will take care of Lillian the way she should be. I can only hope that she will grow up without any of the stresses I had and still have."  
  
Lil wiped her eyes as she looked up from the paper to see Jason standing in the doorway. "Did you find something?"  
  
"My mother... I'll need to get preparations for a funeral," she muttered, realizing that her idol in this world was now gone.  
  
"The sheriff came back just a minute ago and said that it was already taking place. It will be in three days."  
  
"But who...?" Lil realized that she needed to just shut-up and be grateful. She didn't have the money to give her mother the kind of send-off she deserved. "Oh, Jason, what am I going to do?" she asked. "I have no family, no real friends, nothing..."  
  
"Come with me," he replied. Lil looked at the boy, and saw a man in his place. She saw the only strong male attachment she had ever had offering her a way to rise above where she was. "We'll go to New York. I have some friends who will help us get set up. Do what you need to here, get packed, if you would like, sell the house. We'll leave when the funeral is over." Jason had been laying his plan out, slowly walking toward her until he was standing just in front of her.  
  
Lil threw herself into his arms, so grateful for what he was doing. She cried into his shoulder and he felt his arms encircle her. He had never planned to fall in love with Lil, only to change her into what he wanted, use her, and get rid of her. The pair walked back out to his car. Lil couldn't stand to be in the house any longer. She threw everything she owned and a few of her mother's things into two suitcases and left the house, never to return. 


End file.
